On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we're discussing where the frontrunners in the California governor’s race stand on the climate crisis and environmental issues as the Trump administration aggressively dismantles progress at the federal level.
Greenpeace USA, the Center for Biological Diversity, and California Environmental Voters have endorsed Steyer who says he will make polluters pay to address the effects of climate pollution, and has vowed to lower electricity bills by challenging PG&E’s monopoly in much of Northern California, according to CalMatters.
In April, Chevron contributed the maximum allowable amount of $39,200 to Becerra's campaign, the first time in a decade it has backed a gubernatorial candidate, according to Grist. Last month, Chevron contributed another $500,000 to an independent political committee supporting Becerra. California Resources Corporation, the state’s largest oil driller, also gave $500,000 to a Becerra committee. Gas companies like Sempra, and utility companies PG&E and Edison International, have given money to an anti-Steyer political committee that has raised more than $24 million.
As Sammy Roth points out in his Climate Covered Goggles newsletter, first Becerra defended Chevron’s contribution by insisting that the oil company is “not the bad guy.” Then he told Politico that he’s willing to reconsider California’s longstanding climate targets. “We should absolutely have ambitious goals to phase out fossil fuels. … It’s just, what will our pace be? Can we make the 2045 goal? Sure would like to, but I’m not going to hang up our economy and families’ cost of living if we find that we’re not able to meet that goal.”
Guests:
Karuna Jaggar, California political director for the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund
Amy Moas, climate campaign director for Greenpeace USA
Matt Abularach-Macias, political and organizing director for California Environmental Voters
Resources:
Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund: 2026 Governor’s Race Environment Scorecard
Greenpeace USA: California Climate Leadership Scorecard for the 2026 Governor’s Race
California Environmental Voters: Best California Candidates for Governor on Climate
CalMatters: Get up to speed fast on the California election with our guide for the undecided
Los Angeles Times: Record-setting outside money pouring into California governor’s race
Grist: ‘I need Chevron’: The oil company at the center of the California governor’s race
